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Month: May 2014

Hello fellow frugal friends,
I’m sure you know by now that I have a love for shopping at Top Foods and WinCo, and that my love for Safeway is low. However, I needed to make a quit stop today for some produce and didn’t want to drive to either end of the Olympia/Lacey area to do this. Turns out today is a good day to be at Safeway.

While this post isn’t about me getting all this for $5 like I like to do, that is mainly because it’s essentially produce and dairy products which are never cheap (also not pictured are two boxes of Apple Jacks). This, including the cereal cost me $25. Now, if you just take out the strawberries and cheese you can take away $10 and it looks better!

They had Kraft mild cheddar shredded cheese on markdown (doesn’t expire until end of July). Original cost was $4.49, plus I got 50% off for the markdown. Then they had BOGO free. So what should have been $13.47 on cheese was $8.99. Then when you add the 50% off on the other two it came to $4.50. AND to top this off, there was a coupon sitting on top of the cheese…a single, lonely coupon, which I quickly snatched for $1 off when you buy 3 Kraft products. Which made the three bags of cheese come to $3.50. The cashier was extra confused, and ended up giving me 50% off the free cheese (which made it come to $1.50). She basically said OOOOPS, never had this problem before, you win. It get’s better, really. She actually messed up the whole cheese transaction, and we couldn’t find where she discounted one of the cheeses, so they reimbursed me $2.26. Moral of this long story, Safeway PAID me .75 to take this cheese off their hands: ) In case you are curious, there were still plenty of these packages left (Yelm HW location) and they are still BOGO.

Some other extra awesome deals they had were the cereals. The 12 oz. Apple Jacks were $.167 or 3/$5. They had this deal on some other name brand cereals (Raisin Bran). They also had some 2/$4 cereals that were name brand as well, such as Corn Pops. I personally despise purchasing cereal because it is horrible for you, and if I wanted to eat straight sugar, I would just have ice cream for breakfast, but husband loves it… so here it is!

The big watermelons which are usually priced by pound were a straight $3.99, which also happened to be the cost of the personal sized watermelons, so I am sure you can guess which one I picked up.

Triscuits & Wheat Thins were $1.67 a box I believe!

Safeway’s Essential Pantry cookies were 50% off, making them come to .64 a pack. While I much prefer to make my own cookies, when in a bind, how can you pass up cookies at this price? Possible, I think not….

Claussen pickles were BOGO free and I just happen to have a coupon for .75 off, so I will be back to get some pickles this week!

… I gave you a list of Memorial Day deals earlier this week, but here is an updated list of what Sears has going on!

–Jewelry: Clearance up to 90% off, with an additional 10% off if you ask for their coupon in their circular.

–Shoes: Starting 5/25 you can get an additional 30% off clearance shoes.

Also, they have B1G1 on these:

In the appliance section, you can get up to 30% select appliances. If you use your Sears credit card, you can opt for 5% off, or 12 months 0 interest! Some of their “super buy” appliances are up to 40% off!!

And as an extra given to me by my old high school teacher, JoAnn’s is having a great sale this weekend. Lots of merchandise is 50% off. Simplicity patterns are $1 each (up to ten). Plus, they should have an coupons for an extra 10% off!

Memorial Day is making it’s way to us, which means camping season is near and summer is even closer! Take a minute this weekend to thank a vet, an active duty personnel, and their families. Thanks to them, we stay safe! Also, they hook us up with good deals that everyone can get in on! So, in advance, thanks to all the people I know who are or were serving in our military.

Here are some deals you can get through Monday May 26th. Some started today, and some don’t start until the weekend. If you are a homeowner, this a great time to do some shopping!

Starting with food…because, well, who doesn’t look food?

Hooters: This offer is only valid for active military, vets, and their families. 10 free wings with the purchase of a beverage. Good 5/26 only.

Farrelli’s: Yum.. I love their pizza. They are doing a take out special. Buy one, get one 50% off. This offer is good 5/24-5/26.

Red Robin: I am not sure what they have going on, but I read on their site that they will be e-blasting Memorial Day deals. So if you don’t already have a Red Robin Royalty card, get one so you can get in on their deals!

Now that we have food out of the way, let’s get to the other good (but not nearly as yummy) deals for the weekend: )

Lowes: Pretty much every red, white, and blue holiday comes with good paint deals from the hardware stores. At Lowe’s you can get a rebate for $10-$40 depending if you purchase 1, 3, or 5 gallon buckets of paint! This deal ends 5/26.

Home Depot: From now until 6/1 you get $5 off 1 gal paint and $20 off 5 gal bucket of paint. Of course there are other great deals from here this weekend, but this deal only happens a few times a year, and is worth checking out!

Sears: You can receive $35 off $300 using code MEMORIAL35. They will have plenty of in-store deals as well.

Best Buy: Up to 25% off HDTV’s…. Uhh, yes please. I mean, we all know that Super Bowl season is where you can get the best price on a TV, but you can find a great TV at a reasonable cost with this deal. Also, all major appliances will be 10-25% off. These deals are valid until 5/31.

American Eagle: In store only: take an extra 70% off clearance items through 5/26. Pre-shopping for kids school clothes, birthday presents, ect. Now is the time to act!

Macys: Online you can get an extra 20% off using the promo code MEMDAY. Their clearance is also an extra 25% off, so check it out.

Value Village: They are offering 50% off clothes, shoes, accessories, plus bed and bath. Some exclusions apply, see store for details. This deal is only valid on 5/26.

Entertainment Books: I know, again. Really? What? But this is a great deal! You can get 2 books for $20. Plus, if you sign up for annual renewal, you can save an extra $5.

Did I miss something good? Let me know!

Find something good? Let me know!

If I find anymore good deals, which I am sure I will, I’ll keep you posted/

As school comes to a close (two weeks left!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I am beginning to dream of the things I want to do this summer. I have a ton of home projects I want to work on. Most of it involves getting rid of so much excess in our lives. It feels as if I have to have three bathroom cleaners, Pledge for wood, Windex for this and that, and so on. Not only are these products costly, but I have no idea what I am spraying in my house. So, with that being said I have ten DIY’s I can’t wait to try this summer to A. reduce my cost of cleaning products and B. know what I am putting in throughout my house. This will also help me clear the clutter underneath the sinks where I keep so much of it, and in our laundry room as well.

So here is my top ten, with one not being a cleaner of some sort:

1. Pallet Bookshelves. If you know me, or my family, we are readers. We love all sorts of books. I refuse to buy a Kindle or such because I love the feel and texture of a book…especially ones that I have read and reread over again. On top of regular books, I enjoy cookbooks and without a doubt believe you can never have too many. Even with the invention of Pinterest, where I get plenty of cooking ideas, I love flicking through a cookbook to find a new recipe. If I can attempt and succeed at these bookshelves they will be to display cookbooks in my kitchen on the walls. This is what I want them to look like.

(this photo came from sixsistersstuff.com)

Here’s to hoping it works.

2. Hand soap- My friend and I tried this once before and I have yet to have time to retry since. It smelled great, it even cleaned just fine…however, it was too watery. I will be on the hunt for a new recipe, which I am sure will come from Pinterest, just like most of these other DIY’s.

3. Liquid dish soap- While I will always buy Dawn dish soap for other cleaning purposes (check out my post about Bathtub Blues), spending money on liquid dish soap gets expensive. We have a dishwasher, but we pre-wash everything first so we still go through a ton of this stuff.

4. Window cleaner- I love Windex, but the cost is getting out of hand. Plus, it just smells like it is full of chemicals (which I am sure it is). I know you can clean with just vinegar (or so I’ve been told), but with since our big dog loves to slobber on the windows, I think we may need a littler more than vinegar.

5. Laundry booster- While our homemade laundry soap does a great job of getting stains out (if you want to get a recipe for laundry soap, check out my previous post on why buy when you can make your own), occasionally you just need a little something extra. We use Sun right now, and it does a great job, but it’s $4-5 a bottle and I would love to reduce the cost.

6. Reusable dryer sheets- I hate disposable things. Loathe them in fact. To me, it is bothersome that as American’s we are all about time and convenience. Buying disposable things, means little to no clean up for you, but it isn’t always better or more cost effective. I have not found too many recipes for these, but I am bound and determined to find one and make it work. Dryer sheets are outrageous to pay for.

7. Floor wipes- These would essentially be my new Swiffer pads. While the conventional mop is great, I have used a Swiffer since I got my own place because all my apartment’s had a small amount of non-carpeted area. Now, we have increased that, plus added two dogs. We use a lot of those wipes. I would love to be able to make reusable ones, and just toss them in the washer when I am done.

8. Deodorant- This one has been on my list for quite some time. I don’t really wear a lot of deodorant (I don’t have BO, why use it)… but it is nice for those hot summer days, or when I plan on doing an extracurricular activity. I have heard it’s fairly easy to make, but may require more than just a lift of the shirt and a swipe depending on what you put it on.

9. Dust spray- Again, this is just one of those things I am tired of paying for. Generic brands don’t cut…Sorry Dollar Tree, I love you, but your cleaning products just don’t compare. So if I can’t cut costs buy using generic I might as well try my hand at a homemade one.

10. Lastly…When I was a kid, I thought my grandmother was weird. She didn’t use sponges. She used wash rags. Specifically for dishes. It never dawned on me that she was a GENIUS. Not only are you wasting less, but you can clean them as often as you like. I can do beginning knitters stuff, so I think I will make some wash rags. I change out our sponge once a month. It’s about $14 for 10 sponges or something like that of Scotch Brite (blue color)… sometimes I change them more than once a month, especially if we have nasty dishes (super saucy or just extra grimy). I am pretty excited for this one.

I thought I would share in advance with you the first set of projects I want to do once school is done so that if you are interested you can be on the look out for upcoming posts. 🙂 This is going to help rid myself of the chemical clutter in which we are told we need. If I can find a recipe that is all purpose (meaning I can do windows and wood) I will be doing that instead. I want to simplify my life, not add more worthless stuff to it.

Any requests on what to do first? Just let me know. The main thing I want to do is the bookshelves, but I can do that with any other stuff at the same time!

I’ve got a few things that might strike your attention for the day:) With the weather going back to rain soon, I want you to get the best out of what the town has to offer today!

Lacey is hosting it’s Lacey Spring Fun Fair at St. Martin’s University today. This is a free event for friends and families of all ages. It is open today, Saturday the 17th from 10-6 pm and Sunday the 18th from 11-5 pm. This is a great outing to get around and mingle with the rest of the town:)

Also, Half Price Book Outlet is having a sale today! Each paperback book is 0.25 and it goes through the weekend! You should never buy a book new if you can help it.

Is there a True Value near you? TODAY only, you can get a free quart of paint. Print this coupon. Some exclusions apply. See coupon for details.

I officially have THREE weeks left until I have completed my B.S. In the meantime, my professors have made sure to keep me on my toes. With three weeks left, I have four exams, a paper, a presentation, and an instrument licensing left to do! This doesn’t leave me with much time for you guys, and I apologize in advance! But for now, here are a few deals to keep you saving and getting ready for grad’s, dads, and summer time!

Walgreen’s had a random assortment of deals this week…. Here’s what you can get!

It isn’t just kids who can have fun with side walk chalk! Remember hop scotch…Why can’t we hop with our scotch now that we are adults? =) 15 piece chalk for $2. Pretty good deal, and if you are using it for the kids, today would be the perfect day for some chalk and a lounge chair!

Not everyone wants to make their own laundry soap like me, but if you are tight on money, or just don’t mind buying store brand laundry soap, for $1.99 you can get a 50 load count of laundry soap. I mean for that price, it is worth the try to see if it is decent or can at least be used on the dog bedding or things of that nature.

Buying clothes from Walgreen’s can’t be any more weird than buying used at the GW right? They had random packaged t-shirts for $2. This is pretty close to the price GW sells their shirts for, and sometimes they charge more!

I love finding sales on make-up! Most brands here were BOGO 1/2 off. They also had some clearance make-up items, but I didn’t think they were all that great of a price.

Now, moving on to Rite Aid 🙂 I just really like this place. They always have some random great deal. With this 80 degree weather approaching (in case you are curious, since I am stuck studying all week, I am pretending it’s 40 and rainy), buying your fan now will save you from when they are sold out this upcoming summer AND you can get a ton of different styles on sale at Rite Aid. They had a pretty good selection and now is the time to grab one before it’s too late!

There isn’t much left from Easter, but what they did have was 75% off:) Mmmm.. Easter candy….

Looking for shade this summer? Here are table umbrella’s at 50% off! Honestly, the best part about Rite Aid is that they want to sell their product, so while they have great post season sales, they also start the discounts early.

I also have a few randoms…

Freddies: Colgate toothpaste for $1 after in-store coupon. These are double the size as the ones I post about from Safeway. This is a great way to start your stock-up area if you don’t already have one or are running low.

Living Social: They have a pay $15 for $30 worth of flowers from Pro Flowers. While Mother’s Day has come and gone, there are plenty of grads who would love flowers. This should be the link to get there…

With Mother’s Day around the corner, I thought I would give you some ideas that aren’t the normal bouquet of flowers and a Hallmark card. Now, I am not saying that those are bad things to get your mother, but personally I like to give things that last longer than five days. Here’s a few ways at a couple different places you can do that this year:

WALGREENS: Get a free 8X10 photo enlargement using code ENLARGEIT. This promotion is good until 5/10 and if you opt for in-store pick up you can eliminate any shipping fees.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOKS: Remember those books they used to sell for school fundraisers? Well, when I was a kid they were $10, now they are significantly more expensive (around $35 a piece). They are having a spring sale online where you can get 2 for $25! This is a great deal because if you give one to mom and keep one for yourself you can make your money back by using the coupons. While this isn’t the traditional gift, it goes a lot further than flowers (which would pair well with this book). If you decide to buy them, here is the link if you get the Puget Sound books: https://www.entertainment.com/coupon/checkout/basket.jsp?utm_medium=XBTB&utm_campaign=EXPMEM_050814_A&utm_source=Email&QTY=2&itemuuid=de2715060a6e142354f5b2e418db6aa2

**Bonus: If you sign up for annual renewal, you can save an additional $5 on your order!

PETCO: Is your mom an animal lover? Would she love pet supplies, toys, or any other goods from the pet store? Petco, today only, spend $49, get free shipping PLUS get a $10 e-gift card to be delivered by 5/21. Use code treatme10.

SNAPFISH: Snapfish is currently doing 50% off photo books and collage gifts for Mother’s Day. Prices start at $8.99 before discount. Use code 50MAY. They also have an 8X11 photo book with 40 pages for $29.99 and free shipping.

RITE AID: They are doing 11X14 canvas prints for $19.99 using code CANVAS1999. For something a little different, you could try a photo puzzle (10X14) for $9.49 using code EPUZZLE.

SEARS: Mom wanting something a little tech savvy this holiday? Well, Sears is having a sale on their tablets and if you are a Shop Your Way Rewards member, you can get $20 back in points to spend the next time you are in! The new Samsung Galaxy is $30 off for the 4″,8″, & 10″. They also have jewelry on sale for mom’s. You can get a lab created Ruby sterling silver and Gold mom heart pendant necklace, normally $149.99, for $44.99. That’s over $100 in savings, and you can opt to pick up in the store to eliminate the $5.75 shipping costs.

These are just a few things to think about as Mother’s Day quickly approaches. I hope you find something that works for you and yours:) Let me know if you get any other great deals for this special occasion.

As many of you know, I start my Christmas shopping in January and am usually done before October ends except for a few minor things. I have been out and about traveling the state of Washington looking for snails on a school project for the last week, so when I got home, I was in desperate need of a good deal. I went eight days without hitting up any of my favorite places. I made a small post a few days ago about what Sears had to offer… and they still had it going on today when I got into town, so let me show you what I got!

All the shoes on the right are kids sizes and all the ones on the right are adults. I purchased 26 pairs of shoes/slippers, a kids hat/glove combo, a pair of kids winter gloves, and two text friendly adult gloves for $63!!!!!!! Each pair of shoes was an additional 50% off the already reduced price, PLUS an extra 25% off that.

The Angry Birds and character slippers were about $1/pair and the most expensive shoe I purchased was the brown boots in the kids section for $5.50. These are great items to buy in advance to help children and young adults who don’t have the luxury of getting new shoes! I buy at this price, so that my husband and I can give to as many kids as possible. While the slippers aren’t exactly school friendly, sometimes it’s nice just to get something you WANT, instead of something you need. At these prices, I bought as much as I could possibly fit into the cart.

On a selfish note, the black boots on the left are a half size smaller than I normally wear, but I tried them on and they totally fit! WAHOOO! New boots for me (and they were less than $5.) =D

Basically, you need to get off your tush and check Sears out. I know it may not be in your normal swoop of stores to buy for you and your family, but it should be. Original total cost should have been $588, and I paid $63. They are currently doing a deal where if you spend $50 you get a $10 gift card that is good starting on the May 12th, so you know I will be headed there to see what I can get for free with my $10. These are deals you just can’t get at even the cheapest shoe stores in town.

More to come this week frugal friends.. But for now, I am in desperate need of a beverage and some organic chemistry study time!

I’m still on the road so this is short and simple, right to the point. Head to Sears before Tuesday at close to get kids and adult shoes for as little as $2.99. They are marked at a price and you get an additional 50% off so keep that in mind when you go to buy that the price will be higher on the on box than they actually are!

Also, you can buy kids character slippers (ex: Mickey, Angry Birds) for as little as $1.49.

I’ll be doing a weekly sweep of my favorites on Tuesday when I get back so you will be hearing from me soon:)

I’m sorry there are no deals, steals or DIY’s this week. I have no wi-fi on my lap top and all I’ve been doing is searching for snails and doing homework. On the bright side,
I have less than six weeks until school is done…. More deals for you because I’ll be out and about.

I did manage to stop into a QFC yesterday and they had great markdown prices on Easter candy! But we spent $600 on groceries and we did not look too much at price tags.